Table



Feb.9, 1943. RaGOODMN 2,310,521

TABLE Fiied sept. 9, 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 lllLl Illll Feb. 9, 1943.

R. E. GQDMAN TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented F eb. 9, 1943 .UNETED STATES Prat OFFICE TABLE Reuben E.V Goodman, Lowell, Mass.

Application September 9, 1940, Serial No. 355,913 e cnims. (c1. 311-106) The present invention relates to tables, and more particularly to tables of the portable or folding type.

Card tables of a type in common use have a table top comprising a rectangular frame, usually constituted of four thick wood cleats, and a top portion of weaker material, such as thinner wood or cardboard, supported thereby. The cleats are interiorly rabbeted to receive the wood or cardboard top portion, and a covering is stretched tightly over the whole, with its edges secured in grooves provided in the table cleats. The covering may be constituted of fabric,` paper or any other material suitable.

This construction lends itself admirably to tables of rectangular construction, but not so Well to circular tables. It is, of course, possible to bend the thick cleats, under pressure and heat, into l the form of circular arcs, but this is undesirable, not only because of expense cf manufacture, but also because of waste, due to the many cleats that will not stand up under the bending, though perfectly usable as straight cleats. 'Ihe expedient has'accordingly been resorted to of making circular tables of metal, properly shaped, with the grooves stamped thereinto, but wood has many advantages. A

It is an object of the present invention to improve uponY table constructions of the abovedescribed character. l v

A further object is to provide a novel circular table.

Other objects will be explained hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the `appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a section of a table constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the section being taken approximately upon the line I-I of Fig. 2looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 2 is a similar section, taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a section, upon a larger scale, taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 5, looking inthe direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is an underside plan; Fig. 5 is a plan with a portion of the cover member removed; and Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 3, taken upon the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

A card table constructed in accordance with the present invention may comprise a table top having a relatively weak circular top portion 2, of thin Wood or the like, approximately one-quarter inch thick', supported by and secured to a relatively strong circular framework, constituted of relatively thick separate wooden side cleats 20. Six cleats are illustrated, but four or any other number may be employed, arranged end-to-end incircular form.V The table top portion 2 may be suitably secured, as by nails l, to the upper surface 'l of the framework. A plurality of arcuate band sections 6 of about one-eighth inch thickness, are secured to and in Contact with the edge surface 25 of the frame, in the form of a circular band. This may be effected in any desired way, as by means of nails 3. The band sections 5, if made of one-eighth-inch three-layer plywood, with the intermediate layer transverse and the outer and inner layers longitudinal, lend themselves readily to bending, into arcuate form without the aid of heat or pressure. A portion 8 of the band projects above the supporting surface l of the frame.

The diameter of the table-top portion 2 is about one-eighth inch less than that of the frame, providing a narrow circular groove lil extending throughout the thickness of the table-top portion 2 between the projecting portion 8 of the band andthe circular edge I8 of the table top. After painting, except on the upper surface of the top 2, a circular covering Il of fabric, paper or any other material suitable for the covering of tables of this character is stretched tightly, with or without interposed glue or cement, over this uppersurface with its edge 5 secured, as by glue or cement,'along the edge i8 of the top portionl 2, in the circular groove l0. The one-sixteenth-inch width of the groove Il] provides ample space for receiving the edge 5 of the covering 4. Metal elements l are nally applied to cover the ends of adjacent band sections 6.

If the top 2 is constituted of a three-layer plywood board of one-fourth-inch thickness, itvwill hold together the cleats 2li or other framewithout any additional securing means than the nails l, though additional securing means may be employed, il desired. A one-fourth-inch depth for the groove i6 is also just about suicient for the edge 5 of the covering il; less than this would not suffice and a greater depth is not necessary. There is nc need, therefore, t0 cut into the surface l of the cleats 2t in the groove la, alo-ng the junction line l5 between the supporting surface 'I and the edge surface 25 of the frame, to provide additional space for the edge 5 of the covering 4.

The cleats 20 provide also a securing means for a support 22, in the form of two wooden sticks or metal bars, for a folding-leg structure for the table. 'I'he support 22, which may be secured to the cleats 26 by means of nails or screws 24, serves also to brace the table top. The legs 9 fold from a position in which they are extended, so as to support the table top, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, to a position in which they are collapsed, so as to be out of the way when the table is not in use, being guided in their folding movement by means of a Wooden cross member 26, the ends of Which are doWeled to slide in grooves l l of the bars 22.

A novel Wooden circular table is thus provided that does not require bending under heat and pressure, and that may be made of cheap wood stock.

Modifications may be made by persons skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A table having, in combination, a frame having a circular table-top-supporting surface and a'circular edge surface meeting along a circular junction line, a circular band secured to theedge surface with a portion of the band contacting with the edge surface at the junction line and projecting beyond the supporting surface, a circular table-top portion `supported on the supporting surface with the circular edge thereof separated throughout the -thickness of the tabletop portion Iby a circular groove from the projectingportion of the band and from the junction line, means for securing the top portion to the frame, the frame comprising a plurality of separate cleats held together end-to-end in circular form by the securing means, and a circular covering stretched over the top portion and secured along the edge thereof in the groove.

2. A table having, in combination, a frame having a circular table-top-supporting surface and a circular edge surface meeting along a circular junction line, a circular band secured to the edge surface with a portion of the band contacting with the edge surface at the junction line and projecting beyond the supporting surface, a circular table-top portion supported on the supporting surface with the circular edge thereof separated throughout the thickness of the tabletop portion by a circular groove from the projecting portion of the band and from the junction line, means for securing the top portion to the frame, the frame comprising a plurality of separate cleats held together end-to-end in circular form by the securing means, a circular covering stretched over the top portion and secured along the edge thereof in the groove, a foldingleg structure for the table, a support for the folding-leg structure, and means for securing the support to the cleats.

3. A table having, in combination, a frame having a circular table-top-supporting surface and a circular edge surface meeting along a circular junction line, a plurality of arcuate band sections constituted of relatively thin wood so as to be readily bendable into arcuate form secured to the edge surface in the form of a circular band with a portion of the band contacting with the edge surface at the junction line and projecting beyond the supporting surface, a circular Wooden table-top portion supported on the supporting surface With the circular edge thereof separated throughout the thickness of the tabletop portion by a circular groove from the projecting portion of the band and from the junction line, means for securing the top portion to the frame, the frame comprising a plurality of separate Wooden cleats held together end-to-end in circular form by the securing means, and a circular covering stretched over the top portion and secured along the edge thereof in the groove.

4. A table having, in combination, a frame having a circular table-top-supporting surface and a circular edge surface meeting along a circular junction line, a plurality of arcuate band sections constituted of relatively thin Wood so as to be readily bendable into arcuate form secured to the edge surface in the form of a circular band with a portion of the band contacting with the edge surface at the junction line and projecting -beyond the supporting surface, a circular wooden table-top portion supported on the supporting surface with the circular edge thereof separated Ythroughout the thickness of the table-top portion by a circular groove from the projecting portion of the band and from the junction line, the top portion having a thickness of approximately one-.fourth inch, the groove having a Width of about one-sixteenth inch, means for securing the top portion to the frame, the frame comprising a plurality of separate Wooden cleats of relatively great thickness held together end-to-end in circular form by the securing means, and a circular covering stretched over the top portion and secured along'the edge thereof in thc groove.

5. A table having, in combination, a frame comprising a plurality of relatively thick separate Wooden cleats, the frame having-a circular tabletcp-supporting surface anda circular edge surface meeting along a circular junction line, a circular band constituted of relatively thin wood so as to be readily bendable, the band being bent into circular form in contact With the edge surface with a portion of the band contacting with the edge surface at the junction line and projecting beyond the supporting surface, the band being secured to the frame by metal members extending through the band and into the relatively thick cleats, a circular Wooden table-top portion of thickness small compared to thethickness of the cleats supported on the supporting surface with the circular edge thereof separated throughout the thickness of the table-top portion by a narrow circular groove from the projecting portion of the band and from the junction line, means extending through the top portion into the cleats for securing the top portion tothe cleats and securing the cleats together end-toend in circular form, and a circular covering stretched over the top portion and secured along the edge thereof in the groove.

6. A table having, in combination, a frame having a circular table-top .supporting surface and a circular edge surface meeting along a circular junction line, a circular band secured to the edge surface with a portion of the band contacting with the edge surface at the junction line and projecting beyond the supporting surface, a circular table-.top portion supported on the supporting surface with the circular edge thereof separated throughout the thickness of the table-top portion by a circular groove from the projecting portion of the band and from the junction line, means for securing the top portion to the frame, the frame comprising a plurality of separate cleats held together end-to-end in circular form, and a circular covering stretched over the top portion and secured along the edge thereof in the groove.

REUBEN E. GOODMAN. 

